BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. The “Fly
to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW” festival,
which kicks off in Baku on October 30, is being held for the second
consecutive year. The exhibition program of the festival, held at
the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar
Aliyev Foundation and Head of the IDEA Public Association, will
bring together diverse artistic approaches, generations, and
geographical regions, offering viewers the opportunity to reflect
on themes such as memory, cultural heritage, nature, biodiversity,
identity, and the future.
As part of “Art Weekend,” alongside various venues, the Heydar
Aliyev Center will host the official opening and presentation of
several exhibitions.
Artworks by the “Big Five” for the first time at the
Heydar Aliyev Center
One of the key themes of this year’s “Art Weekend” exhibition
program is “Big Five of the Caucasus.” In projects dedicated to the
nature and biodiversity of the Caucasus, animals are presented not
only as part of nature, but also as bearers of cultural memory,
mythology, and collective identity.
The project “When Nature Speaks: Heirs,” which
will be on view at the Heydar Aliyev Center, is a contemporary art
exhibition exploring the themes of nature, heritage, and human
responsibility.
The “Big Five of the Caucasus” — the Caucasian leopard, brown
bear, gray wolf, golden eagle, and gazelle — form the conceptual
foundation of the exhibition, drawing attention to the question:
“What kind of natural world will we leave behind?”
These animals, presented in the exhibition in various forms, are
not perceived merely as depictions of wildlife. As the central
symbols of the festival’s artistic program, the “Big Five” will
offer a new perspective for reflecting on nature, cultural memory,
mythology, identity, and future generations.
The exhibition, conceived by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of
the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, explores the connection between
people and nature, as well as closely interrelated concepts such as
heritage, responsibility, memory, and choice.
The exhibition will bring together artists and craftspeople
working in mixed media, combining installation, sculpture,
ceramics, textiles, and various other materials.
The works featured in the exhibition will be shown to the
general public for the first time during the Art Weekend in
Baku.
One of the artistic interpretations of the “Big Five” and its
journey from nature to art is the project “Legendary
Creatures: An Azerbaijani Bestiary.” The project, which
will be presented on October 30 in the park of the Heydar Aliyev
Center, connects mythological creatures from Azerbaijani folklore
with the “Big Five.” Here, animals are portrayed as bearers of
local knowledge, folklore, and artistic heritage, emphasizing the
importance of preserving them for future generations.
A total of six works by six artists will be on display—a carpet
composition, a sculpture, a photograph, a metal composition, and a
mixed-media composition.
All works in the exhibition will be presented to the general
public for the first time as part of “Art Weekend.”
Unusual paintings by a Chinese artist will be on display
at the Heydar Aliyev Center
On the first day of the festival, another exhibition will open
at the Heydar Aliyev Center — an exhibition by Chinese artist
Zhang Ji. Titled “Skin of Truth,”
the exhibition, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Center, is a joint
project of “Baku Art Weekend” and “JD Malat Gallery.” The
exposition will combine the architectural traditions of various
cultures with contemporary painting. The exhibition will feature
the artist’s works from the “The Skin of Truth” and “Ultima”
series. Drawing inspiration from the patterns of mosques,
synagogues, Catholic churches, and Hindu and Buddhist temples,
Zhang Ji reinterprets them through the language of contemporary
painting.
The works to be displayed at the Baku exhibition were created
under the influence of such famous architectural landmarks as the
Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Alhambra Palace in Spain.
“Azerbaijan has always been a place where Eastern and Western
civilizations converge. This rich cultural synthesis in your
country has long captured my attention and sparked great interest.
Presenting my works here as part of ‘Art Weekend 2026’ is a
long-awaited moment for me and an important milestone in my
creative career,” the artist said.
Zhang Ji’s painting technique is also distinctive. Instead of a
brush, he applies paint to the canvas using a syringe. The textured
surfaces created in this way give his works an appearance
reminiscent of bas-relief sculpture.
Zhang Ji’s works have been exhibited in the United States, the
United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, China, France, Spain,
Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and other countries, and have
been included in international collections.
Another project to be presented on October 30 at the Heydar
Aliyev Center is by the renowned American artist Judy Chicago.
Her art project, titled “What If Women Ruled the
World?”, will be shown in the region for the first
time.
The work serves as a medium for memory, storytelling, and
collective self-expression. Since 2022, the project has built a
global archive spanning the United States, Germany, Argentina, the
United Kingdom, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and
Türkiye. In Baku, visitors will be able to become part of the next
phase of the artwork by answering questions in an interactive sound
booth.
Pistoletto’s artwork, combining a mirror and artificial
intelligence, at the Heydar Aliyev Center
On October 30, the Heydar Aliyev Center will present another
“Art Weekend” project — Italian artist Michelangelo
Pistoletto’s work “Mirror of Eternity".
The project is a continuation of the artist’s long-standing
creative exploration of the mirror motif. Throughout his career,
Pistoletto has used mirrors to make the viewer a part of the
artwork. “Mirror of Eternity,” drawing on the possibilities of the
digital age, combines human portraits using artificial intelligence
to create new faces that did not exist before. A participant
uploads their portrait to the system, and the system combines it
with another person’s portrait to form a new image. In this way,
this artificial creation reflects a constant renewal that continues
from generation to generation. The project explores the connection
between the concepts of humanity, memory, technology, and
ever-renewing life.
The “Mirror of Eternity” project has been presented
internationally, including at The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach
and at the India Art Fair in New Delhi in February 2026.
